Everything I Wished For
by YamiKitsune14
Summary: Yami, Pharaoh of Egypt, has two wishes. That the war with Bakura would end, and to find true love. Unfortunately, neither seem likely to come true. However, when he meets the Theif Princess, his life gets turned upside down. Ae AU First fic DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue: Thoughts and Wishes

Hello all, and welcome to my first fic! I'm very excited about this. However, first things first, the disclaimer and warnings.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or anything else except the plot and my oc.

Warnings: Um, there might be some violence and blood, but I don't think there will be too much else. If there is, I will let you know at the beginning of the chapter.

Pairings: YamiOC, SetoKisara, YamiOCBakura, and one-sided BakuraOC.

Well, without further ado, let's begin!

Prologue: Thoughts and Wishes

Pharaoh Yami Atem sighed as he gazed at the stars from his balcony. He was worried, though he would never admit it. War had come to Egypt, for the first time in Pharaoh's memory. Things just weren't going well.

Mana giggled as she leaped from her hiding place, intending to startle the Pharaoh, with whom she was good friends. However, the spiky-haired monarch disappointed her, seeing as he didn't even seem to notice her. She was about to do something drastic (exactly what she wasn't sure) to get him to notice her, when she saw the unhappy look in his dark violet eyes. "Yami, what's wrong?" she asked, curious as to what was getting her friend so down.

Yami gave Mana a sad smile, before turning back to the sky. "I've been thinking," he told her, in a voice nearly devoid of emotion. Mana frowned. He was using his "Pharaoh voice" as she called, and in this particular situation, that was a bad sign. "What've you been thinking about?" she asked, even though she was fairly sure she knew what the answer would be. "This war. Death. Bakura. The Items. My Father. Love." Only the last thing he said startled her.

"Love?" she managed to ask despite her shock.

"Yes, love."

"Why?"

He sighed and leaned against the balcony. "I guess it's because most people just see me as Pharaoh. But I'm more than that. I'm an eighteen-year-old young man who wants to find true love while on a dangerous adventure. I want someone who will love me for who **I** am, not because I'm Pharaoh." He let out yet another sigh. "But I don't think that's ever going to happen."

"Why not?"

"Well, this war for one thing. For another I will be Pharaoh until I die, and as Pharaoh, I can't just up and leave whenever I want to. And with the threat of Bakura," he shook his head, "It's too dangerous."

Mana felt bad for her longtime friend. All he really wanted was for the war to end and to find someone he loved who would love him in return, not for his looks or his power, or his wealth, but for him. Mana thought for a bit before she spoke. "Maybe it'll come to you. Maybe you will find it." She shrugged. "My advice is don't worry about."

Yami gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Mana. You're a good friend." Mana laughed. "Thanks for the compliment Your Highness." Yami turned back to the night sky. "Look!" Mana exclaimed excitedly. "A shooting star! Make a wish Yami." Yami closed his eyes and made his wish. _I wish for love. That's all I really want. I'm going to die in this war, I can sense it. But, before I die, I want to know what it is like to love and be loved. This is my wish._

Well, the prologue is complete. Please, leave a review and tell me what you think. It will be much appreciated.


	2. The Princess of Thieves

Hello to everyone out there who is awaiting chapter 1! Sorry for the delay, I was in Death Valley for a week, and they don't have computers there. Also, I would like to thank everyone who left a review. Your reviews helped inspire me, thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any other trademarked things that I might make a reference to.

Now then, on with the chapter!

Chapter 1: The Princess of Thieves

Yami was, to put it mildly, bored. He was currently presiding over court and trying desperately not to fall asleep. He let out a weary, nearly inaudible sigh. The dispute he was listening to was utterly pointless. He did not particularly care that Lord Ranofer's boundary stone was missing. He suspected the floods had carried it away yet again. He was seriously considering having him thrown out so that the court could move on to other, more important matters.

"Your Highness?"

A voice broke through his musings, startling him.

"Yes?" he asked, wondering wildly what he had missed.

"I asked if you would lend me some soldiers to help me catch the thief who stole my boundary stone."

Yami released a long-suffering sigh. He did not need this. First his Father died. Then Bakura attacked. Then, just a few days ago, Mahad was killed. Still, he might as well be blunt, it wasn't like he could get in trouble for it. "Lord Ranofer!"

"Yes, Your Majesty?" Lord Ranofer asked, trying very hard not to look too excited.

"I do not think your boundary stone was stolen."

"You don't, Sire?" the now confused Lord questioned.

"No, I don't. I think the annual flooding of the Nile washed it away. I suggest actually looking for it. You may go now."

Spluttering with shock, Lord Ranofer was promptly escorted out of the throne room. Yami let out a breath of relief. He desperately hoped that had been the last case for the day. He had a major headache, and he still had that new law to look over. Rather abruptly, the door banged open. "Sire! We have just caught a wanted thief!" a rather overexcited guard shouted.

Yami suppressed a groan. He did _not_ need this. "Well, where is he?" he questioned, rather irritably.

"Their bringing the thief in right now!" The guard was proven correct about a minute later, when three soldiers came in, holding to a wildly struggling person. They were followed by a very burly guard, who held several items in his hands. They paused, and the item-carrying guard bowed. The other three attempted to bow, however, the struggling prisoner resisted. The burly, item-carrying guard scowled, walked over to the other three, and struck the prisoner, whom Yami still couldn't see properly. "Kneel!" the guard ordered, "Your in the presence of Pharaoh!"

"Like I care!" a voice, that of the prisoner, and oddly feminine rang out, "What has Pharaoh done for me?"

The burly guards eyes bulged. "You'll kneel whether you want to or not!"

He and the other three guards proceeded to strike the prisoner simultaneously, causing the thief to fall to his knees.

"As I was going to say, Sire, we have captured this dangerous thief. These things that I'm carrying were the scum's weapons." He proceeded to throw the thief's weapons on the ground. Yami inspected them from his throne. They were very nice for a thief. The first thing that caught his eye was a double-edged middle-length straight sword, with a black leather bound hilt, and a ruby for a pommel stone. The thief's two knives were similar in make to the sword, one slightly longer than the other. The longer dagger had a hilt made of amber, with a sapphire set as the pommel stone. The other was the sword in miniature, the only difference was that instead of a ruby, the dagger had an emerald set in it. The last of the weapons was an exquisite longbow and a quiver of arrows. Yami arched an eyebrow. Bakura hadn't even had a weapon, much less one as beautifully made and deadly as these. However, he wanted to actually _see_ this captured thief. "Um, think you sir guard, but, could you maybe move out of the way so I can take a look at this prisoner?"

"Oh! Of-of course, Your Majesty." Yami considered thwacking the somewhat slow-witted guard over the head, but managed to resist the urge as the man finally moved out of the way. Yami's eyes widened in shock as he saw the prisoner. He had seen thieves before, but this! For, struggling in the grip of three guards, was a woman. She didn't appear to be much older than him, and, to add to his shock, she was wearing a man's clothes!

She had curly golden-brown hair that just went past her shoulders, and, like most Egyptians, she had tan skin. Her eyes were dark brown, nearly black, with blood-red glimmers in them. Her loose desert pants, which normally only men wore, were sand-colored and tattered. Her shirt was pretty much the same, hiding her figure. A black belt encircled her waist, while her feet were bare. At that particular moment in time, blood was trickling down her face from the blows she had received. Bruises were starting to appear on her arms, as well as her face. Yet, despite her somewhat wild appearance, despite the wounds on her, he felt a strange emotion in his heart, one that made him feel oddly self-conscious However despite these strange emotions, he was still Pharaoh, and as Pharaoh, he had duties. So, he started the interrogation. "Do you have a name, thief?"

"Yes, I do."

"What is it?"

She glared at him "Trisscar Elizabeth Swordmaid, Princess of Thieves, Liz to you," she spat, sounding very ticked off.

He raised an eyebrow. "You are accused of thievery. Do you deny it?

"No, I don't. If I did, I would be a liar."

He blinked a couple of times, rather startled. This was the first time a thief had said something like that. Still, it was judgement time. Millennium judgement time. "You will be tried by the Millennium Items," he told her, trying to sound as emotionless as possible.

"Bring it!" she shouted, no fear in either her voice or her eyes. The guards stood up, dragging the prisoner with them. Priest Shada stood in front of her. "Let the Ka judgement begin!" he said in his deep voice. He raised the Millennium Key, which started glowing. Instantly he gasped and recoiled."Shada! What is wrong?" questioned Isis.

"This thief girl! She has _two_ very powerful Ka!"

So, what do you all think of chapter 1? Please, feel free to leave a review and let me know! Heehee, this is my first ever cliffhanger! I'll will post the next chapter as soon as I can! TTFN!


	3. A Battle and an Escape

Well, hello again to anyone who reads this! Welcome to chapter 2! Hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: Ummm, as far as I'm aware I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or anything else in here that has some sort of license.

Chapter 2 A Battle and an Escape

"What?!" Priest Seto all but screeched at Shada's announcement, "How can she have _two_ka?!"

"I'm not sure how she can have two myself, Seto, but the fact remains that she has two."

Yami looked at High Priest Ahknadin. "Ahknadin, could you-?" He did not need to finish the sentence, for Ahknadin caught his meaning. "Millennium Eye, reveal to us the forms of her ka!" he shouted, activating the Eye at the same time. The thief laughed as the Eye's power struck her. "Fool's!" she shouted, "I was waiting for you to use the Eye!"

"You were?" questioned a confused Priest Kalim.

"Yes, I was. Now, behold my ka!!" Suddenly, both her ka appeared behind her. The first was a brown-haired sorceress, wearing blue and green, and wielding a staff with glowing green stones on it. The second almost took Yami's breath away due to its beauty and obvious power. It was a sleek shimmering white dragon, with glowing blue eyes. However, unlike all of the dragons Yami had seen previously, this dragon didn't have forelegs. Instead, its wings were where the front legs were on most dragons.

"Impossible," breathed Seto.

"What power!" gasped Shada.

"It's beautiful," whispered Ahknadin, a hungry gleam in his eye.

"Strange," said Kalim, with a frown.

"What is strange?" Priestess Isis questioned.

"The spellcaster holds mostly dark energy, but the dragon holds only light."

"That is strange," Isis agreed.

"Priest Seto?" questioned Siamun, the vizier.

"Right," Seto said, snapping out of his daze, "Ka! I seal thee in the stone slabs!" he cried, activating the Millennium Rod.

"Did you think I'd just let you seal my ka?" the thief questioned, "Well, if you did, than you were dead wrong!!" she pretty much screamed. She turned ever so slightly, looking straight at her dragon. "Shining Dragon!" she called, "Use Shining Cancellation!" The dragon let out a shrieking cry, before releasing a semi-transparent beam form its jaws. The beam struck the Millennium Rod, causing a glowing orange barrier to appear around the Rod, a barrier that shattered almost the instant it appeared. Rather abruptly, the Rod stopped glowing.

"What have you done, thief?" Seto roared.

She laughed. "I simply activated one of my dragons special abilities, that's all."

"Yes, I realize that, but what did it _do_?"

A grin appeared on her face. "Shining Cancellation allows me to choose which spells and ka abilities affect him. Of course, canceling a Millennium Item takes a lot more energy than canceling an ordinary spell or ability, but in this situation, I don't think I have much of a choice, do you?"

"Why you insolent-" Seto started, than stopped, a smirk starting to appear on his face, "If it's a battle you want, than it's a battle you're going to get!"

"Bring it on!" she snarled at him.

"With pleasure!" he shot back. "I summon Battle Ox!" At his call, the huge minotaur appeared, an angry roar rumbling from it.

Yami was fervently praying to every god he could think of that this battle wouldn't go like the one with Bakura did. He did _not_want to have to summon one of the three Egyptian god monsters. That just didn't appeal to him at this particular point in time. He watched as Seto's Battle Ox attempted to attack the thief's dragon, but ended up receiving a blast of magic form the thief's sorcereress. Seto's blue eyes blazed with anger. "Two on one isn't fair!" he shouted.

"Oh, and five or six on one is?" she asked.

"What?!" Seto growled, positively seething with anger.

"You heard me!" she replied.

What she had said gave Yamipause for thought. He had to admit she had a point. Five or six priests, against one prisoner, really was not fair. Hmm. He'd have to think about that a bit more at some later date. Now, Ahknadin had joined the battle, coming to Seto's aid with his ka, Gadius. So far, the thief was doing well against the two of them, he couldn't help but think.

"Gadius! Attack!"

"Battle Ox! Strike her down!"

"Magician's Valkyrie! Mystic Scepter Blast! Shining Dragon! Shining Burst Stream of Destruction!" (1)

Both Seto and Ahknadin yelled in pain as her attack's struck their monsters. Shada and Kalim joined the battle, yet she was still holding her own. Yami was astounded. I mean, sure Bakurahad held off all the priests, but, that anyone else could manage such a feat, in particular a woman, was downright astonishing! 'Perhaps I should look into this,' he thought, while observing the thief receive her first wound of the battle, from Kalim. He sensed that she would have to find a way to end the battle, and soon, or else surrender and die. He didn't think she would surrender after what he had seen of her personality. He felt that she would choose to try and escape, though exactly how she planned to do that, he wasn't sure. For some strange reason, he felt absolutely no desire to inform the priests of the revelation he had just had. And, surprisingly, he didn't mind.

Liz swore under her breath. Her dragon had just taken a hit, and she wasn't willing to risk losing at this point. Desperately, she looked around, hoping for an escape route. Her eyes locked on the door, guarded by only a few men. 'That's it!' she thought. She turned back to the battle, determination glinting in her eyes.

"Valkyrie!" she shouted. The magician turned to look at her mistress. "Attack the enemy with Mystic Scepter blast!" She turned to her dragon. "Shining Dragon, use Shining Burst Stream of Destruction on the door!" Her two ka eagerly carried out the request. She grinned as she saw the door be blasted out of the doorframe. That had been more fun than she thought it would be. She turned to the stunned Priests, and one not-so-stunned Pharaoh, gave them a cheeky and a mock salute, then nodded at her two ka. Her spell-caster nodded, glowed, and vanished. Her dragon let out a frightening shriek. The dragon then grabbed her in its tail and flew off, out the destroyed door. Out into the streets of Thebes.

For several minutes, no-one moved. Then, pretty much everyone present, Yami and Isis excluded, started shouting. "You let her escape!" Seto screeched.

"How did she do that?!" yelled a very surprised Kalim.

"Quickly! After her!" Shada's voice echoed.

"How did she posses that much power?" Ahknadin questioned.

"Oh, the shame!" cried Siamun.

Various other courtiers were adding to the racket, their shock evident. Isis and Yami exchanged glances. "Everyone, please, calm down!" Isis said, attempting to make herself heard over the racket. Unfortunately, she did not succeed. She turned to Yami. "My Pharaoh, if you would be so kind?" He nodded, took a deep breath, then "EVERYBODY SHUT UP!!"

Like magic, silence fell. "Thank you," Yami said, a slight smile on his face. "Here is what we're going to do. The guard will try to find her and recapture her. The rest of us will do what ever it is that we normally do. Savvy?" Everyone nodded, not quite daring to bother the Pharaoh at this point. "Good!" he said, with slight nod. "Now, then, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to take care of in my room." With those parting words, Yami stood up, turned in the direction of his chambers, and stalked off regally.

Yami's chambers, a few hours later.

"But Prince, sorry, but Pharaoh, why won't you do what I'm suggesting?" Mana whined, her brown eyes pleading with her old friend.

"For the last time, Mana, I cannot just up and leave whenever I want to! I have responsibilities, for crying out loud! And furthermore, even if I could just leave when I felt like it, I wouldn't leave just to go chasing after some stupid thief!" Yami practically exploded.

"Okay, okay, Ra, you didn't have to yell. I just think you're being a blockhead."

"Oh? In what way am I, as you put it, a blockhead?"

"Well, first off, you told me the first thing you thought when you saw the thief, Liz, was that she had a wild beauty. Second off, you sensed her plans and didn't inform _anyone_. And third off, you're trying to convince yourself that you'd rather let the soldiers do the searching," she told him with a smug smile. He sighed. Why did she have to know him so well? "What do you suggest, oh wise one?"

Mana giggled. "That you and me escape the palace and find her!"

"And just how do you propose we do that?" Yami asked her, sounding very skeptical.

"Well, invisibility spells are a piece of cake for you."

Yami closed his eyes, trying to stay calm. "I meant, how do you propose we find her."

"Oh. Ummm..."

"My point exactly," he said with a triumphant grin. He turned back to the report he was reading. For several minutes, neither of them spoke. However..."I've got it!!" Mana suddenly yelled. Yami, startled, accidentally fell out of his chair. "Mana, kindly warn me next time your going to do that."

"Oops, sorry Yami."

He sighed. Again. "At least tell me the reason behind your abrupt shout."

"Well, I figured out how we go about finding her!"

"Oh?"

"Yep. Think. Where do thieves live?"

He raised an eyebrow. "In the outskirts of the city?"

"Correct! Now then, all we have to do is narrow it down further."

"Umhmm. And how would we go about doin that?"

"Simple! We disguise ourselves, escape the palace, go to the outskirts, and ask!"

"Ask?"

"Yep! Ask."

He thought about her plan for several minutes. "Mana."

"Yes?"

"I think that that is the craziest plan I've ever heard."

Tears started to appear in Mana's eyes.

Yami laughed. "However," he added, a teasing light in his dark violet eyes. Mana met his gaze looking hopeful. "It just might work." he finished.

"Alright!!" Mana yelled, "Let's go!"

Yami chuckled. "Yes," he said quietly, "Let's."

In her room, Priestess Isis let out a silent sigh. It was rare for her to receive a vision concerning one of the Millennium Item wielders, much less, the Pharaoh. Still, she had received such a vision nonetheless. "Oh, my king," she breathed, "The path I see before you is a long and painful one. Do not lose your courage, or your spirit, for they will be needed." She smiled. "But, so will the cunning, knowledge, skill, and love...of a thief."

Well, what do you think? Please, feel free to leave a review and tell me! Also, just a quick note here on the time line. For the most part, this is an AU. However, there will be some events that happened in the anime/manga. These events will happen differently than they do in the anime/manga. TTFN!!


	4. Into the Desert

Hello to all! Erm, sorry about the long gap, I was away from home for a week, and unable to type a new chapter. Many apologies!! Here is the next chapter!

Oh, and for a disclaimer, see any of the previous chapters.

Chapter 4: Into the Desert

Liz Swordmaid let out a weary sigh as she sat down on her sleeping mat. That battle earlier with the priests had _not_ been fun. As a matter of fact, it had been somewhat frightening.

To make matters worse, she was fairly certain that all of Thebes now knew about it. First off, that fact was slightly humiliating. Second off, she was fairly certain that Bakura was still in Thebes, which meant that he now knew. Which meant she'd have to move. Again. She let out a frustrated growl. If only he would a) leave her alone, or b) return to the way he used to be when they were young. She couldn't decide between the two. She knew that it didn't matter, since neither option was ever going to happen. She rested her head on her knees. 'Just a few more moments,' she thought, 'Just a few more moments of peace.'

While Liz was brooding, Yami and Mana were, to be kind, lost. Well, actually, they were a little beyond lost, meaning that neither of them had any idea were they were going, nor any idea how to get back to the palace. Yami was seriously beginning to regret agreeing to this mad scheme of Mana's. Mana, on the other hand, was trying to be optimistic. "I mean, we _know_ that Ra rises in the east, and sets in the west, so we should be able to figure it out from there, right?"

"Mana?"

"Yes?"

Yami let out an exasperated sigh. "It's currently noon, judging from Ra's position."

"Oh. Well, you know direction, right?"

Yami gave her a withering look. "If I had any sense of direction, would we be lost?"

"Ummm, no?"

"Precisely." Yami growled at her.

"Oh, hey! Let's ask this guy!" Mana chirped, grabbing Yami's arm and proceeding to drag him towards the unlucky pedestrian. "Darn it, Mana!" Yami yelled. She ignored him, and smiled sweetly at the unfortunate peasant, who was about to learn about Mana's long, random conversations. "Sir," Mana said, looking impossibly innocent. "Yes?" The man asked. "I was wondering if you could tell us where the thieves district is?" The man gave Mana a condescending look. "Why?" he demanded. Mana smiled. "Because," and she started a very, _very_ long speech about why he should tell her. "OKAY! I'LL TELL, YOU!! JUST NO MORE!!" the man bawled.

"Deal," Mana told him, a knowing smile on her face,

"You walk straight that way, than make a left. You'll be in the thieves district."

Mana grinned. "Thanks ever do much!" The man gave a weak smile, before walking away impossibly fast. Mana turned to Yami. "See, I told you!" Yami stared at her, eyes wide. "What?" she asked him. "I'm glad you're on my side," he muttered, walking in the direction indicated. Mana blinked before..."Hey! Wait up!"

"There. That should do," Liz said, a sad smile on her face. She looked around her small house. 'I'm going to miss this place,' she realized. She started to pick up her packages, when she heard a knock on her door. 'Who could that be?' she thought, 'It can't be Bakura, he's not that polite.' As she approached the door, she heard voices, coming from outside. As she opened the door, she heard, "Mana, are you sure this is the right house? I mean, we don't want to get a wrong address on _this_ street." Another voice replied, saying, "I'm positive this is it." Now the door was open, and standing there was...well, Liz wasn't quite sure who they were.

The first was a girl of about fifteen, with medium-length brown hair and brown eyes. She couldn't make any guesses about the girl's companion, due to the fact that the ...person was wearing a cloak that covered them from head to toe. "Do I...know you?" Liz asked.

"Sort of," the girl replied, looking embarrassed.

"What do you mean, 'sort of'?"

The girl sighed. "If you let us in, you'll find out."

"How do I know you two aren't in league with the thief king?"

The girl frowned. "Welllll,"

Liz scowled. "If you can't give me a reason to let you in, then, you're not getting in. And that's final."

"Does this help?" the girl's companion asked, in an obviously male voice, as he took off his hood. Liz gasped. Standing in front of her door was Pharaoh himself. She took a deep breath to calm her self before she spoke. "I'm convinced you're not in league with Bakura, but I'm not convinced I'm safe." He chuckled. "Understandably."

"Why are you here?" she asked him.

"He wanted to talk to you," the girl chirped.

Liz raised an eyebrow. "And why would Pharaoh want to talk with me?"

Yami looked rather embarrassed. "Well, I couldn't help but notice your ka the other day, and I must say, they intrigue me."

Liz blinked. "Ooookaaaay, haven't heard that one before. How do I know this isn't a trick?"

"If it was, I wouldn't be here," Mana supplied.

"Fine. I'll let you in, but know this, any funny stuff, and you die, got it?"

Both Yami and Mana nodded, before walking into Liz's house. Yami noticed her bags. "Were you going somewhere?"

"What's it to you?"

"Just curious."

Liz snorted. "Your curiosity is going to get you in trouble sometime, Pharaoh."

He smirked. "I doubt that."

"Ahem," Mana coughed slightly, in an attempt to prevent an argument.

Both Pharaoh and thief got the hint. "What about my ka did you want to know?"

"Why do you have two, and why are they so different?"

"You know something? I'll talk about their powers. But the whys," she shook her head, "I'm not going to discuss those."

He looked surprised. "How come?"

She glared at him. "Because they're personal, and I don't go around discussing my personal life with people I don't know!"

Yami opened his mouth, however, before he could say anything, someone started pounding on the door. All three people froze, exchanging glances. "LIZ!! I know your in their! Now open this door before I break it down!" someone yelled, in a low, harsh voice. "Who-" Yami started, but Liz interrupted by putting her hand over her mouth to silence him. 'Bakura,' she mouthed. He nodded, shooting Mana a look that basically told her to be quiet and not ask questions. "Follow me," Liz whispered, leading them through her house, only pausing to grab her weapons. She led them out the back door of her house, into the outskirts of the desert. She circled around, until she could see the door of her house. As soon as she saw Bakura, she took an arrow from her quiver, and nocked it on her bow. "What do you think you're doing?" Yami hissed at her.

She gave him a cold glare. "Killing Bakura."

"What?!"

"You heard me."

"No! It's not right."

Liz gave him a hard stare. "How is it not right?"

He stared at her in shock. "This is cold-blooded murder!"

"So? Don't you want Bakura dead?"

Yami was stunned for a minute, before he managed to say, "Not like this."

She rolled her eyes, and aimed at Bakura. He caught her wrist. "What if you miss?" he growled. "I won't miss," she told him. "You don't know that."

She sent him a very fierce glare, than aimed at him. "Would you rather I shot you instead?"

Mana's eyes went wide as saucers. Yami smirked. "You wouldn't dare," he told her, confidence lacing his tone. She raised an eyebrow. "Wanna bet?"

As he met her eyes, he realized she wasn't kidding, and that thought made him freeze for a couple of seconds. "No," he replied, "I don't bet with life."

She snorted. "I figured that out, due to the fact that, for some strange reason, you don't want me to kill Bakura." She put up her bow. "Fine," she growled, "That means only one option is open to us."

"What?" Yami and Mana asked.

Liz smiled devilishly. "We escape into the desert."

"The desert?" Yami asked looking slightly faint.

Liz smirked. "Guess you do have a brain after all."

Yami growled, while Mana grinned. "What are we waiting for?" she shouted, dashing off. Liz sighed. "That girl is too hyper for her own good. Come on, Pharaoh." With that, she grabbed the ticked-off Pharaoh by the arm, and proceeded to drag him after Mana.

Well? What do you think? Reviews are appreciated! Again, I apologize for the long delay.


	5. Learning

Umm, hello to all out there who read this. I'm sorry for the long delay. I haven't really had writer's block, per se, more like, having ideas, but not being able to decide in what order to do them. And, also, this site wouldn't let me log in for the longest time! Terribly sorry!

Chapter 5: Learning

Liz was tired. Well, more like exhausted, but at this point, she really couldn't care less. 'Does Mana _ever_ get tired?' she thought , continuing to follow the overexcited spell caster-in-training. Glancing at the Pharaoh, trudging along behind, she almost laughed at the mixed look of anger, weariness, and just plain confusion on his face. He met her eyes, with a slightly questioning look. "Are you just going to let her lead us in circles?" he growled, obviously irritated. She smirked. "Yes."

He arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"No. But, I do know that there is an oasis in this direction," she told him, letting out a weary sigh.

He snorted, doubt in his eyes. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. 'He'll learn,' she thought, with a devious grin, 'He'll have to, to survive.' They walked until Ra set, before Liz called halt. Pharaoh smirked. "I do not see this oasis you spoke of." She gave him a look. "Pharaoh, have you considered the fact that _I never said how far away it was?_" He opened his mouth to say something, but Mana interrupted, with a "Who cares Yami?"

Pharaoh shivered. "Is it always this cold out here? I thought the desert was supposed to be hot."

"It is, when Ra is in the sky. However, this is Khonsu's time, and it is quite cold without Ra's fire. Now, Pharaoh, I'm going to teach you how to start a fire without magic, got it?"

Yami grumbled under his breath, but nodded. "Good," Liz told him, "Now then, you see this stone here?" She took a rough, gray rock from a pouch on her belt. "This is a delightful little rock called flint. If you strike it against steel, like that in my blades, it makes sparks. Now, Pharaoh, find something that can be burned, and make sure there's a lot of it!"

Yami shot her a death glare, which she ignored, before wandering around a bit. It took him almost an hour, but he did eventually find a scrub bush that was flammable. He proceeded to pull it up, and somehow he made it back to the campsite without getting lost. Liz raised an eyebrow. "Wow, it's a miracle, you managed to do that in less than six hours."

Yami snarled and threw the kindling at her, muttering too quietly to be heard. Liz smirked. Mana sighed, and told Liz to hurry up before they froze to death. It didn't take the thief much time to light a fire. Soon, they were all sitting around a crackling blaze. Mana had already fallen asleep, however, Pharaoh's dark violet eyes were reflecting the firelight, turning his eyes a brilliant crimson. Yami, glancing at her eyes, noticed that her dark eyes had turned a bloody red.

Both were slightly unnerved at these observations. Right then, Yami's stomach growled. He looked at Liz pleadingly. She gave him a flat look. "What do you expect me to do?"

"I don't know, kill something with your bow?"

She stared at him "What?" he asked, "It was a legitimate question!"

"You are totally clueless!! You expect me to go out there, where there are khefts and jackals, and hyenas, and who knows what else, to _hunt?_"

"Yessss?"

She shook her head. "I'm not doing it. There is a way, but I'm not letting you in on that secret. At least, not yet."

Yami said a couple of choice words that would have made Bakura blush, causing Liz to stare at him. "What?" he asked.

She shook her head. "You will never cease to amaze me. And I don't mean that in a good way."

While Yami sputtered in indignation, Liz put a hand in her pocket and pulled out a small reed flute. Ten minutes later, Yami was fast asleep, due to the song she had played. Liz smirked. 'Oh, I am _enjoying_ this,' she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning..."Mana! Wake UP!!" Mana slowly blinked open her eyes, to see an irate Liz standing over her. "Ummm, good morning?"

Liz shook her head. "Ra rose HOURS ago! The only reason I didn't wake you up earlier because Pharaoh here insisted I let you sleep." Mana looked at the currently stone-faced Pharaoh.

"Thanks Yami!!" Mana told him with her trademark grin. He gave her a small smile in return, before Liz got them moving with a call of "If you two want any water, I suggest you start moving!"

Mana and Yami quickly followed Liz, not willing to be left behind in the desert. It only took a couple of hours for the heat and lack of water to start to get to the duo. "Water," Mana panted. Yami didn't speak. It took too much effort. He felt faint, which was not a feeling he was comfortable with at all. Liz was suffering as well, however, she was used to these conditions, and as such, was better equipped to deal with them. It wasn't much farther now...At least, as far as she could recall, it wasn't. 'Set, god of the desert, please, let us be there soon,' she silently prayed. A dull thump sounded. Liz slowly turned around, only to see a dazed looking Pharaoh supporting Mana, who had fainted. "How much farther?" he croaked, eyes desperate.

"It shouldn't be too much farther."

He nodded. She started the trek again. Yami prayed desperately to every healing god and goddess he could think of. 'Please let her be alright, let her be alright! I've already lost Mahad and my father, don't take my best friend away from me as well!'

Liz was getting desperate. If they didn't find the oasis soon, then all three of them were dead. She considered using her magic, but decided against, as it would take too much energy. She gritted her teeth. As far as she could tell, the thing to do was keep marching.

One hour later

Liz didn't even know why they kept walking. It was the last thing that both she and the person with her could remember doing, so they kept doing it. Yami was definitely doing much worse than Liz. Every step felt like it took all of his energy, every breath set his lungs and throat on fire, every blink was pure torture. He was going to pass out-and soon-unless they reached...wherever it was they were going to. He couldn't really remember anything other than fire, and sand, and dry air. He couldn't remember why he was carrying another person on his back, couldn't remember why he was following the girl who was leading him.

It was pure luck that Yami tripped over the reed. Neither of them had seen it, hence, Yami tripped over it. He laughed weakly. "What idiot left that reed there? Very inconsiderate of them."

'Reed?' thought Liz, 'Reeds only grow near water. Wait, a minute...' "Water!!" she yelled, hurting her throat in the process. She stumbled forward as fast as she could, a bewildered Pharaoh following. They had reached the oasis. For now, at least, they had been saved. 'Thank you Set.' Liz thought.

She and Yami practically threw themselves in the cool liquid, taking in great gulps of it at a time. "Mana, wake up! Look, there's water!" Yami told his unconscious friend, unceremoniously dumping her in the stuff. "Ack!" Mana recovered pretty fast, for someone who had been out of it for so long.

At the fire that night, they all had much more energy than they had earlier that day. "So, how long are we staying here?" Mana asked.

"As long as we're out here, this is going to be our base camp," Liz told her.

"Good. At least we don't have to worry about dying here," Yami said, with a small smile, that quickly vanished at Liz's next words. "Oh, yes we do."

Yami sighed in annoyance. "What are we doing tomorrow anyway?" he questioned.

Liz smirked. "I'm going to teach you the skills necessary for desert survival. We leave at dawn."

So, how was it? Yes, I know it was short, and it took a long time, but I couldn't seem get a bead on this chapter. Which basically means I had difficulty writing it. Me sorry!! Blame my mind, not me! Oh, and if you would be so kind as to leave a review telling me how it was, I would appreciate it!


	6. Let the Training Commence!

Hehe, sorry this took so long. I really meant to write this chapter earlier, but time got away from me..........Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and here is the next installment!

Chapter 6: Let the Training Commence!

Yami awakened to a shout of "Oy, Pharaoh, get up NOW!" as well as a sharp pain in his side. Slowly he blinked his eyes open, and stared groggily up at none other then Liz. He groaned. "What time is it?" he asked, slurring his words slightly due to his exhaustion.

"About an hour before Ra rises," she informed him, a sour look on her face.

"Is there some reason you woke me up at this unholy hour?"

"Yes. It's time for your training to start. And I'm no happier about this than you are. But this is the way it is. Live with it."

Grumbling under his breath, Yami stood up, stretching. He scowled as he spied Mana, still asleep. "How come she gets to sleep in?"

Liz glared at him. "Do you ever quit whining? She gets to sleep in because I'm training you, not her."

"That's not fair!"

"Welcome to the real world, Pharaoh. Here," she tossed him something. "It might come in handy."

He caught the small bundle, and opened it. He stared, shocked, at the item that fell out of it. It was a dagger, its keen blade shining softly in the predawn light. The only difference between it and Liz's other knives, was its amethyst pommel stone. He shot her a questioning look.

"It's yours now. I never used it anyway, and believe me, you'll need it." With that, she turned and started walking away. "Hurry up!" she called back, startling Yami out of his trance. Quickly, he grabbed the knife and started after her. Soon the oasis was out of sight. "Alright. What do you know about the desert?"

"Well," he started, thinking for a minute, "It's hot, dry, and inhospitable to life. That's it. There's nothing else to it."

She snorted. "I can see I have a job ahead of me. Okay, let's start with some weapon training. Unfortunately, you left your sword in the palace, so we can't work with swords. But, we can work with knives."

'Oh dear.' Yami thought as she drew one of daggers.

"Are you just going to stand there and let me stab you?" She asked. "Because if I were actually challenging you, I wouldn't wait for you to make the first the move."

Yami drew his own blade. "I know how to fight!" he snarled at her.

She smirked. "Not the way I fight!" With a fierce yell, she charged.

Yami held himself at the ready, waiting for her to strike. She did, and he parried, only to find her blade heading for his face. He quickly blocked, and attempted a counterstrike that she deflected with ease, before darting in with a slash. He lightly leaped backwards, causing her to miss. 'Yes!' he thought, darting in with a stab. His elation quickly evaporated as she twisted to the side, causing his stab to hit thin air. He tried slashing toward her new position, but she leaped back, just as he had.

He was beginning to get frustrated. No matter what he did, he couldn't touch her. It was like a dance in a way, but one that he wasn't controlling. She just kept coming. She like no one else he had ever met before in his life, and he wasn't sure he liked it. She handled the knife like she was born with it. He hated to think what she could do with a sword. And then, suddenly, his knife went flying, and her blade was at his throat.

"Not bad, Pharaoh," she panted, "Not bad. It could use some work, but you're not as bad as I thought you'd be."

He didn't reply. He was too busy trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Ra has risen," she observed. "Once you retrieve that knife, we'll head back to the oasis for breakfast."

He nodded, quickly rescuing the knife from where it had landed. Soon, they were back at the oasis. "Hey guys!" a rather cheerful Mana exclaimed. "What's for breakfast?"

Liz shook her head slightly as she replied. "One fruit each."

Yami stared at her. "Just one?"

She gave him a look that said plainly 'Are you stupid?' "Yes, just one," she told him. "There isn't really that much food around here, so we need to be careful."

"Fine," he sighed, looking less than thrilled.

He promptly headed off to another area of the oasis, looking for a fruit that he actually wanted to eat. "You know," Mana told Liz, "He's really not that bad. And he's not stupid either."

Liz let out a longsuffering sigh. "Mana, I know he's not that bad. He just.......rubs me the wrong way. And I've had some very bad experiences in my past. Particularly with men. And as for his not being stupid," she snorted, "Could've fooled me."

At that point, their conversation was interrupted by a very loud "HELLLLLLLLLLP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"What has that idiotic Pharaoh gotten himself into _now_?" Liz asked.

"I don't know. But, for him to have yelled like that, it must have been pretty serious." Mana said, looking very worried.

The two dashed on in the direction of the yell. When they found Yami, they realized he had a very good reason for being afraid. He was sitting with his back to a palm tree, his face gone deathly white, with at least five cobras on him. The largest, and most aggressive, was perched on his shoulders hissing menacingly. "Don't move," Liz told him, a very tense look on her face.

"I'll try," Yami replied, in the smallest possible voice he could mange.

"What do we do?" Mana asked Liz, her fright clearly showing on her face.

"Well, if you know how to do a fire spell, now would be the time."

"Why's that?"

"Simple. Snakes don't like fire."

"Oh, I get it!" Mana chirped. Her face fell quickly, however, and she voiced her concern aloud. "Won't that catch Yami on fire also?"

Liz smirked slightly. "Not if you do it right."

She grabbed a handy stick that just happened to be lying on the ground. "Mana, I need you to set this stick on fire."

"I can do that!" Closing her eyes, Mana chanted the needed spell. The end of the stick burst into flames.

"Pharaoh, I'm going to ask you not move or scream until I tell you."

Yami gave the slightest nod of his head in agreement, mentally bracing himself.

"Alright, here goes!" Liz said as she brought the flame closer.

The cobras hissed at the approaching fire. One struck at the stick, and instantly recoiled as its delicate mouth touched the flaming stick. Hissing in pain, it slithered away. None of the other snakes moved until the fire so close, it was practically touching them. Slowly, they started to scatter. Finally, only the big one around Yami's shoulders was left. Liz was about to actually set the snake on fire, when Yami's voice interrupted her. "Don't."

"Why not?" she asked, very confused.

"Because, he wasn't trying to hurt me."

"And you know this how?"

"He's not hissing anymore. In fact, he's quite calm. Plus, he nearly bit one of the snakes that tried to bite me."

She let the stick drop. "Fine, though I'm afraid I don't quite see your point."

He smiled softly. "You might."

She snorted, before stalking off.

"You okay? None bit you, did they?" Mana asked, concern filling her eyes.

"I'm fine, Mana. None bit me," he laughed, slightly hysterically, "If they had, I wouldn't be talking to you."

He stood up, the cobra still on his shoulders. "Now, what to call you?"

Mana laughed, and starting making suggestions. "How about Slimy?"

"Mana!"

"Just kidding!"

Liz couldn't help but smile slightly as she watched them. 'No!' she reprimanded herself, 'I'm not going to put myself through that again! It's not worth it to have people in your life. It's just not worth it!' with that, she turned and threw her knife at a tree. The blade sank in up to the hilt. 'Get a grip!!' she mentally screamed at herself.

"Aha! I've got it!"

"What is it, Yami?"

"I shall call him Sokar!"

"I like it!" Mana exclaimed.

Sokar reared up, looked Mana in the eyes, opened his jaws......and let out an oddly strangled hiss. All three stared in shock before Liz stated what they were all thinking, "Is he....laughing?"

"I think so," Yami replied.

All three looked at one another, then at the cobra. All three burst out laughing. And so began the desert training of Pharaoh Yami Atem.

Well, how was it? Good, bad, in between? Send me a review and let me know! Also, I have decided which ending to go with, so I now know exactly where I plan to take this! Many apologies for the lateness of the chapter. Also, thanks to my dear friend Emily-chan for her support, and for letting me bounce ideas off of her. Thanks, amiga!


	7. A Storm

Hehe, hello to all my readers! -Hides behind Yami- Yes, I know there was a looong delay between chapters. I could give about fifty excuses, but I won't. Enough waiting! Here's the next chapter!

Chapter 7: A Storm

Yami stared contemplatively across the waters of the oasis, petting Sokar absentmindedly. It had been a week since he and Mana had left the palace, a week since they had met up with Liz and ended up in the desert. To top it off, Liz seemed determined to teach him desert survival skills. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he didn't really have a choice. Mana was having a ball. She and Liz actually got along, and Mahad wasn't around to get after her, so naturally, she was taking advantage of it.

He turned his head slightly so that he could get a good look at the woman who had managed to drag him out into the middle of nowhere. Liz was sitting with her eyes closed, her back against one of the palm trees. He had to admit, she was pretty smart for someone with no formal schooling. Still, she had told them almost nothing of her past, and it bothered him a bit.

"Pharaoh, is there some reason you're staring at me?" Liz's voice broke into his thoughts. He quickly, he looked away. "No. I was simply thinking."

"Oh?"

"Yep."

"Thinking about what, exactly?"

"Lay off him, he's had a hard week," Mana interrupted.

"Fine," Liz said with a sigh.

To be honest, she was more than a little uncomfortable with Pharaoh staring at her. It reminded her a little too much of _him_. The man who had changed her life drastically.

"Can I go exploring?" Mana asked, her brown eyes pleading.

"Mana, I really, really don't think that's a good idea," Yami told her, raising an eyebrow. He was reminding himself of Mahad. Oh well. Someone had to keep an eye on Mana, after all.

"Actually, she'll be fine as long as she keeps the oasis in sight," Liz stated, closing her dark brown orbs again. Yami shot her a look that was somewhere between disbelief and hurt. Mana on the other hand................."YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!" she yelled, immediately scampering off. Yami turned on Liz. "How could you let her do that?!"

Liz shrugged. "She'll be fine so long as she keeps the oasis in sight."

"She's not going to remember that!"

"Sure she will."

"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you," Yami told her. She had only known Mana a week. He'd known her his whole life! Why did she think she knew his best friend better than he did? It hurt, although he would never admit it. He resumed petting Sokar, worry shining in his eyes.

A couple of hours had gone by, and Liz was starting to get uneasy. Mana had been gone way too long. Maybe Pharaoh had been right for once. She noted that worry was plainly showing on his face. For a moment felt a flash of something. Jealousy, maybe? But why? She shrugged these thoughts off as he approached her.

"Liz, I need to go look for Mana. She's my responsibility."

She nodded, eyes downcast. "I'll go with you. It was my fault in the first place."

Yami nodded as she grabbed her bow and arrows. To his surprise, Sokar slithered up to him with a hiss. "You want to come too?" The snake answered by starting to climb up Yami's leg. Rather than have the snake slither all the way up him, Yami picked up the cobra and placed him around his shoulders.

"Are you ready?" Liz asked, still looking more subdued than usual.

"I am ready."

"Alright." She started walking, Yami following.

They walked for a while, before Yami paused. "Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"How are we going to find our way back to the oasis?"

"Now that I know the exact location of it, I can find it again. Probably."

"Probably?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

She looked a bit sheepish. "Well, I can at least get it in sight, we can adjust our direction from there."

Yami sighed. This just kept getting worse and worse. Absently, his mind wandered back to when he had first seen Liz in the palace. He still hadn't figured what that funny feeling he'd had was. In fact, now that he thought about it, he still had that feeling. This was just too confusing. It was at that point that he pulled himself out of his thoughts, due to Liz's shout of "Mana!"

He looked up, and smiled at the sight of his friend, unharmed, if a little tired. "Hey guys!" she chirped, "How are you?"

Yami and Liz both sighed with relief. "Thank goodness you're alright! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?!" Yami asked.

"Umm, oops?" Mana replied, looking a tad nervous.

"You are in big trouble when we get back, Liz, lead the way," Yami growled.

"I will, but I think we should hurry."

He glanced at the curly-haired girl, to see her staring at the sky. "Why?"

"Because there's a sandstorm coming."

Yami blinked. "Oh."

"S-sands-storm?" Mana stuttered, eyes wide.

"Yes, Mana, a sandstorm." Liz replied, eyes hard, "We have to hurry."

Liz took off at a fast run, Yami and Mana following her. "We're not going to be able to out run it!" Mana yelped, glancing toward the storm coming toward them.

Liz paused. "You may be right." She took off her headband, shaking her curls loose. "What are you doing?!" yelped Mana.

"I'm going to tie this around my nose and mouth. That way, I can breathe without inhaling sand. I suggest you do the same."

"Alright," Yami said, pulling his cape over his nose and mouth, "It's sound logic."

Liz rolled her eyes but, for once, said nothing. "Oh, okay!" Mana replied, somehow managing to get her hat down over her nose and mouth.

"Let's keep going," Liz said, starting to walk again.

"Wait!" Yami exclaimed.

"What?" She questioned, looking back at him.

"What about Sokar?"

"Yami, I think he'll be fine. Let's just try to make it back," Mana interjected.

He nodded, and once again they started moving. Unfortunately, the storm hit before they had gone ten feet. The harsh wind whipped sand around them alarmingly fast, making it difficult to see. Luckily, they could breathe, due to their "air filters". After it a bit, it seemed like they had been walking for hours, even though they knew it had only been a few minutes. Liz was leading, with Yami bringing up the rear.

As ill luck would have it, however, Yami tripped, and hit his head on a rock. Dazed, he let go of his cape and lay there, half-stunned. Neither Liz nor Mana noticed that the Pharaoh was missing. Sand began to cover the half-conscious king.

By the time he recovered, the sand was really starting to cover him. The weight of it was incredible, he had no idea sand could weigh that much. He started to struggle, but quickly realized that was a wasted effort. The sand filled his mouth and he was sure it was getting in his lungs. He closed his eyes. 'Well, this is slightly problematic,' he thought.

It was Mana who first noticed that they were missing a person. "Liz!" she called, beginning to panic.

"What?"

"Yami's missing!"

"WHAT?!" Liz yelled, turning to look back. A chill ran through her as she realized the younger girl was right.

"We have to find him!" Mana said, shouting to be heard over the wind.

Liz nodded in response, and started going back the way they had come. 'Stupid Pharaoh,' she thought, 'Now we have to trudge through the sand looking for him. And who knows where in the world he could be.' She looked up slightly. 'I could really use some help." She directed that thought toward the sky, where the gods were.

It was at that moment that Liz noticed the snake. It was slithering toward them through the storm. Funny it looked kind of familiar..........When it got closer she realized with a jolt why it looked so familiar. "Sokar! What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

Mana looked at the cobra excitedly. "Sokar! Can you show us where Yami is?" She asked, almost bouncing up and down in excitement. The cobra nodded, then began slithering away. He looked back, to make sure the two girls were following, before continuing on.

Yami knew he was dying, of suffocation, no less. The sand was everywhere, his eyes, his nose, his mouth, his lungs. His head was starting to hurt, most likely due to the lack of air. His thoughts were going fuzzy, although he did manage to think 'If I die here, who'll be Pharaoh after me? And will I reach the afterlife without the proper funerary rights?'

At this point in time, Sokar, Liz, and Mana were almost to the spot where he was. Sokar hissed when they reached the spot. "Here? But there's nothing but sand........." Mana stated, looking around in confusion.

Liz felt her blood freeze as she realized what must have happened. "Oh gods," she whispered, "Mana! Start digging! He's under the sand, and if we don't hurry, this sand will be his tomb!"

Mana's eyes went wide. Desperately, the two started digging. "It's not working!" Mana shrieked, nearly hysterical at this point. Liz closed her eyes and made a choice. She would have to use her magic.

"Mana! Stand back!" she commanded, letting her power flow through her. She willed the sand covering the Pharaoh to rise. "Wow! You're really strong!" Mana gasped as the sand began to lift. As soon as she could see her childhood friend, she pulled him out. Liz let the sand drop back.

"Is he still alive?" Mana asked, her fear still evident.

"Yes, but only just," Liz replied, relief in her voice and eyes at having found a pulse. "Sokar!" The snake looked at her curiously. "Lead the way back to the oasis." Sokar nodded, slithering off.

Liz picked up Yami, no easy task since he was both slightly taller than her and heavier. By the time they reached the oasis, the storm had stopped. This allowed Liz to concentrate on reviving the unconscious king.

It was night when Yami finally awoke. He had coughed up most of the sand already, but he still coughed several times. That was what tipped Liz and Mana off to the fact that he was awake.

Liz got to him first. "Don't scare us like that ever again! You nearly died!" she yelled at him. He smirked a bit. "I didn't know you cared," he replied, violet eyes glinting.

She blushed slightly. "Well, I...................Fine, yes I care." She pouted a bit, causing him to laugh. Mana hug-tackled him. "I'm so sorry!" she said. He blinked. "Whatever for?"

"This was all my fault! If I hadn't gone exploring this wouldn't have happened!"

"Mana, it wasn't your fault," he told her gently, doing his best to calm her.

"If it was anyone's fault, it was mine," Liz said, dark eyes downcast. "I was the one who gave you permission in the first place. The blame lies with me."

"Now wait just one minute. The fault lies with no one. Yes, Mana got lost and I almost died, but that doesn't mean you two have to go around blaming yourselves for it!" Yami said, a hint of anger in his tone.

The duo sighed. "You're right, as usual," Mana said, before grinning. "I'm going to get something to eat!" she chirped, heading over to the fruit trees.

"Liz?" he asked, watching the thief.

"What you say makes sense, but, I just don't understand," she replied, head lowered.

"I take it this has something to do with your past."

She nodded. "I don't want to talk about it."

He sighed slightly, before smiling a bit. "Alright. I'll let you have your secrets. But, if you ever do wish to talk, you can always come to me or Mana." He stood, stretching slightly. "Now, I believe that I shall also find something to eat."

"Thank you, Yami," she whispered. He gave her one last small smile before trotting off.

She watched him as he walked away. Why had she said that? And she had actually been worried about him! She could admit that she liked him well after several weeks but..........that didn't explain what was happening.

"You're falling in love with him, aren't you?" Mana asked from behind her. "But I can see you won't admit it."

That wasn't true. It couldn't be. She had promised herself she wouldn't fall for another guy, not after what happened last time. And, yet, deep within her she knew she couldn't deny what Mana had said.

Well, how is it? -hides behind Yami again- Yes, I know this chapter was extremely late, but I wanted it to be good. Hopefully it is. Now, those of you out there who are reading this, please, leave a review! I'll try to get the next one up faster but I can't guarantee anything.


	8. Serket's Anger and an Archer King

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Hello? Sorry it's been so long. (I apologize a lot, don't I?) Any way, I was suffering from the dreaded writer's block. Still not sure if I've completely recovered, but I shall try my best. By the way, you all should thank Emily-chan (eMilyUSIerraC) for giving me a LOT of the inspiration for this chapter. Go read her story!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: Look pal, if I owned Yu-Gi-Oh! or any other licensed thing mentioned in here, the anime would be very different, kapesh?

Now, on with the fic!

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Chapter 8: Serket's Anger and an Archer King

Liz sighed, annoyance showing in every line of her body. Ever since Mana had told the older girl that she was falling in love, Liz couldn't seem to get the thought out of her head. 'Stupid emotions,' she thought, 'Why did this have to happen? Why did it have to be Pharaoh?'

She stood up, brushing sand from her clothes. "I'm going for a walk," she told no one in particular. Yami, who was telling a story to Mana and Sokar, nodded. He noted with a touch of nervousness that she had left her bow and arrows behind.

He returned to his telling of the story of Teta the Magician, trying and failing to concentrate. The Thief Princess has been acting strangely for several days now. He didn't like it, particularly because he worried about her to no end. Sure, she was strong and capable of taking care of herself, but he had a tendency to worry about people he cared for.

Hang on, people he cared for? Since when did that happen? I mean, she was quite beautiful, he'd always thought that, but when did he stop thinking of her as irritating and condescending? Too many questions without answers danced through his heart.

Meanwhile, Liz was contemplating many things, not the least of which was that enigmatic Pharaoh. She had to admit, she felt slightly guilty for dragging him out here, without even informing his priests that he and Mana were safe. She hoped they weren't too worried.

Due to her thoughts, she wasn't paying as much attention as she usually would have, and it took a gruff "Now what do we have here, boys?" to get her to notice her situation. She was surrounded by what appeared to a group of minor outlaws. 'Luckily, only their leader is on a horse,' she thought as she drew her sword, 'Otherwise, this would be nearly impossible.'

The leader chuckled as she adopted a fighting stance. "So, girly, you think you can take us on?" he chuckled, a disturbing leer on his face. Liz gritted her teeth hiding her fear. She was surrounded and outnumbered, this was not looking good.

She didn't have time for anymore thoughts, because they charged her. They were smart, coming at her in groups and harrying her. Her swordplay was better, but they had numbers on their side. Still, she might have won, had the second-in-command not thrown sand in her eyes. While she was trying to get it out, the leader came up behind her and caught her by the hair.

Liz shrieked as he pulled her hair hard, laughing as he did so. Tears of pain came to her eyes, unnoticeable, since her eyes were already watering from the sand.

It was her shriek that alerted Yami to the fact that something was wrong. She really hadn't gone that far from the oasis, fortunately for her. Yami jumped up, worry searing through him once again. "What was that?" Mana asked, green eyes wide. "I don't know. But it didn't sound good," Yami replied.

He grabbed Liz's bow and arrows, and, with Sokar on shoulders and Mana behind him, headed off in the direction of the scream. He ran desperately, Mana struggling to keep up with her friend. 'Please let her be okay,' he prayed, not particularly caring which god heard his plea.

He slowed down as soon as he spotted the outlaws. They all had their attention on Liz, leaving him free to assess the situation. The leader had Liz by the hair, while the others jeered threateningly at her. Her lip was bleeding, and he could see bruises forming on her face, indicating that she had been struck.

He cursed under his breath. "Mana," he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Can you use magic to take out the ones on the outskirts?"

"Sure, but why not closer? Or, why not just summon your ka?"

"I give you the same answer to both. There's too big a risk of hitting Liz on accident."

"Okay, but what are you going to do?"

Yami smirked as he held up the bow. "Liz doesn't know it, but archery is my specialty."

Mana grinned. "Then what are we waiting for?!" she exclaimed. Luckily, they hadn't noticed her outburst.

Yami chuckled. "Let me get ready, then we strike." With practiced ease, he strung the longbow, bending it to test its strength. He had to admit, it was a powerful bow. Slinging the quiver on his back, he selected an arrow and notched it. Idly, he wished he'd thought to bring his archer's bracers from the palace.

"Okay Mana, let's get this started."

"Alright!" exclaimed Mana, before beginning the incantation to a freezing spell. Yami prayed that she performed the spell properly, as he took aim. Satisfied with the speed and direction of the wind, he took a deep and released the arrow as he was breathing out. It hit the leader in the throat, killing him. He smirked as some of the men were frozen in place due to Mana's spell. The plan was working perfectly.

Liz was shocked as, from seemingly nowhere, an arrow materialized and hit the leader in the throat. Liz didn't waste time, the instant the grip on her hair slacked, she darted away. Turning, she noted that he was indeed dead, and was thus free to take back her sword.

She grinned savagely. "All right, who wants to be the first to meet my blade?" she asked. Mana chose to release the spell at that moment, which meant the raiders were at liberty to run away, an opportunity they took advantage, with a few arrows to speed them on their way.

Yami and Mana revealed themselves, Yami with a snort of "Cowards."

"Indeed they were," Liz replied. She raised an eyebrow as she noted that Yami had her bow. "Good shot," she told him, blushing slightly as she realized that she was the one who had to be rescued.

"Don't mention it, it was an easy shot. Bow and arrows are my preferred weapons anyway," he stated, smiling slightly at her blush. He was just glad she wasn't too badly hurt. Although he had to admit, she looked cute like that.

Liz, meanwhile, was beating herself up mentally, embarrassed and a bit angry at her slip-up. She wasn't normally that careless. 'It's all that blasted Pharaoh's fault,' she thought. 'If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been lost in thought.' She petted Sokar, who had slithered onto her shoulder. Despite her irritation at having to be rescued, there was a small part of her that didn't seem to mind. Especially since one of her rescuers happened to be an extremely handsome archer. 'This is not happening!!!!!!!' her thoughts yelled.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) it was. Because not even Liz's iron determination could stand against that most strong of feelings.

Later that evening, the trio was relaxing, enjoying the relative calm of the desert night. Mana was playing hide-and-seek with Sokar, while Yami and Liz were stargazing. All in all, everyone was happy. Until an abrupt "Ouch!" came from Liz.

Yami turned toward her. "What's wrong?" he asked, worry lacing his tone.

"Something either stung or bit me," she hissed, biting back a curse from the pain. Yami stood up and looked where she indicated. Fear lanced through him as he what had hurt the girl.

"Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you've been stung by a scorpion."

Liz paled, her own fear taking over. Scorpion stings could be fatal, and even if it didn't kill her, the symptoms of the poison were nothing to be sneezed at. Yami himself was not much calmer. He was useless when it came to healing spells, and he certainly didn't want her to die.

He helped her to lean against a tree, while Mana and Sokar watched. He gave the duo a brave smile. "There's nothing you two can do except pray. I'll take of her."

Mana nodded, fear and sadness in her eyes. 'Please, let her be alright. They're perfect for each other, and if she dies now, they'll never know it,' she thought, appealing both to Serket, goddess of scorpions, and Ra for help.

A few hours later, Liz was suffering from the effects of the sting. They weren't pleasant. First, there was burning pain where the scorpion had actually struck. She felt numb over the rest of her body, her vision was blurred, she was throwing up, having difficulty breathing and swallowing, and to top it off, she'd had a seizure. This was not her day.

Yami was well beyond terror at this point. He'd helped Liz as best he could, but to be frank, the seizure had scared the life out of him. He hadn't been prepared for it, albeit he'd handled rather well, if he did say so himself. Her labored breathing worried him as well. 'Don't let her die, just don't let her die,' was the way his train was going, interrupted by odd observations every now and then.

One of these observations was an admiration of her strength. The only sound she'd made had been the ouch when she'd first been stung. That, to him, was impressive. He knew that this could not be a fun experience for her. And, quite suddenly, his thoughts changed to his emotions.

Why was he so afraid of her dying? And the answer came to him as soon as he thought the question. "I love her," he whispered, shock and awe in his voice. It occurred to him that he'd never really even disliked her. He counted himself fortunate that she was out of it, otherwise he didn't think she'd approve.

On impulse, he pressed a gentle kiss to her fore head. "Get well," he whispered, his violet eyes soft. Unknown to him, the wind and the moon weren't the only witnesses. Mana had seen and heard everything. She was ecstatic about this new development. Maybe her plans to play matchmaker wouldn't have to be put into action after all. Things seemed to be going along just fine without any interference from her.

However, contrary to what Yami thought, Liz was quite aware of his confession and actions. However, with the weakness and semi-paralysis from the poison, she was quite unable to react. Her thoughts, on the other hand, went haywire. He LOVED her?! This was............unexpected. What was even more unexpected was the rush of warmth and feeling that surged through her at his words and actions. It wasn't possible that she loved him in return, was it?

No, it couldn't be. And yet she knew that was a lie. Besides, he was nothing like the last person she had given her heart to. He was brave, calm, intelligent, caring, and compassionate. And she realized that she could overlook his flaws of pride, a hot temper, stubbornness, and vehemence.

During the two days she spent recovering from the sting, she finally came to grips with it. She had admitted it to herself. There was no point in fighting it anymore. And so it was that she opened dark brown eyes after two days of suffering, and looked right in Yami's violet ones.

"Hey," Yami said, his voice soft and quiet.

"Hey," she returned before steeling herself. "I wanted to thank you for helping me." He smiled at that. She went on. "And, I heard what you said."

At first, he just looked confused. Then realization dawned on his face. Hie eyes hardened slightly. "I meant what I said, and I don't regret it."

"I know. It's just..............I've come to realize that.........that I...............that I love you too." There. She'd said it. She didn't know what would happen next, but she did know that this seemed right, somehow.

Yami's shock slowly gave way to astonishment. He almost couldn't believe it. For the past two days, he had prepared himself to deal with unrequited love. This was above and beyond anything he'd been expecting. He smiled at her, his feelings swirling in his eyes.

Liz smiled back, lowering her walls enough for him to see the truth of her words. Slowly, the pair leaned toward each other, their lips touching in a kiss. Mana, who had once again seen the whole thing, let out a squeal, and hugged Sokar very hard, while jumping up and down. To say she was excited was an understatement. Neither Yami nor Liz payed her ant attention as they broke the kiss.

Both of them had finally given into their hearts, letting themselves feel that beautiful emotion. Both of them sensed that there would be more challenges ahead, but for now, they lost themselves in a moment when everything was perfect.

* * *

Well, I hope this wasn't too bad. The romance didn't feel rushed, did it? Please let me know! I also hope it wasn't too short. Also, really quick, the problem with the prologue has been fixed! Two quick chapter notes: Teta the Magician is a real Ancient Egyptian story, I found it in a book of Egyptian myths. Second, I did some research for this chapter about archery and the symptoms of a scorpion sting, so if I messed something up, blame my sources. Hope you enjoyed, and please, review!!!!!!!!


	9. A Strange and Painful Past

Hello to all my faithful readers/reviewers! ^_^ Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, they were very, very inspiring! Now, several of you have expressed curiosity about Liz's past. I am happy to announce that it will be explained in this chapter. Also, I apologize for the lateness, life got rather hectic.....................

Disclaimer: Come on now, unless Kazuki Takahashi-san is female and American, I definitely don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!!!!!!

Now, on with the fic!

Chapter 9: A Strange and Painful Past

Yami smiled at the girl who had managed to steal his heart, happiness coursing through him. Ever since he and Liz had confessed their feelings, he had been almost deliriously happy, to the point where he had accidently walked into one of the palm trees and proceeded to make a fool of himself. The point was, he was actually feeling relaxed for a change, and as far as he was concerned, that was a good thing.

Liz returned his smile, still a little nervous about this whole thing. She was happy, but she felt a bit guilty for keeping the violet-eyed king in the dark about her past. She just couldn't bring herself to relive the memories.

Mana, on the other hand, was her usual energetic self, gushing about how cute the duo were to the point of both Liz and Yami telling her to shut up. However, this didn't deter Mana from her excitement one whit. On the contrary, she started daydreaming about the future, and muttering random bits of it aloud, causing frequent raised eyebrows.

In any case, Liz was struggling between keeping her secrets secret, and simply letting it all out. But, letting it out would mean telling Yami about he who had hurt her. It would also mean telling him a truth she wasn't sure she wanted revealed. Finally, her heart won over her mind. She would have to tell him.

Yami was surprised when Liz approached him one night, saying that she needed to talk to him privately. He followed her a short distance away from the oasis. "You should probably sit down," she told him, her eyes downcast. Instantly, he realized what this conversation must be about. He sat down with his usual grace, while she plopped down beside him.

"When you're ready," he said softly.

She took a deep breath. "First things first. I'm not quite.......human."

He blinked. "What?"

"Well, you see, I'm actually a wolf. Wolves can take a human form when they want to, you know."

"A wolf?" he asked, looking a little confused.

She laughed a bit. "Yes, a wolf." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she was a black she-wolf with dark brown eyes.

Yami's eyes went wide for a second, before he grinned. "You look beautiful like that too," he informed her, gently petting her head.

"You don't think this is strange?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Not really. I've seen a lot of strange things in my life, this is one of the more interesting ones."

"Oh. Okay then," she stated, returning to her human form. "I was born a wolf. My father's name was Thothemhet, and my mother's was Mara. My older brother was called Kamose. When I was very small, my parents were killed by hunters. My brother and I took human form after that, deciding that it would be safer. We soon stumbled upon the ruined and haunted village of Kul-Elna."

"Don't tell me..." Yami started, before she cut him off.

"Yes, I knew Bakura. We became fast friends." She laughed hollowly. "He taught me about thieving, you know. He was my best friend, and he was there for me after my brother died of an illness. It was during this time that he started........changing. He became harsher, crueler, more spiteful, more hateful. I thought it was because my brothers death reminded him of his own loss. And there were times when he was himself again."

She paused before continuing. "So, we grew and I.......I fell in love with him. I turned a blind eye when he came back with blood on his hands, and items that could only have come from a tomb. He gathered a band of hard, vicious men around him. They scared me, but I was so sure that Kura would protect me. Then, two years ago, I realized the truth of the darkness that possesses him.

"He had just come back from a successful raid. I ran up to him, expecting him to laugh, and kiss me, and tell me he was happy to see me. He didn't. Instead he.....he hit me. And yelled t-terrible things. A-and he t-tried to take things w-way farther than I w-was r-ready f-for. I only escaped by taking wolf form and running. I've b-been running from him ever since."

She had started crying in the middle of telling him about Bakura, and now she was sobbing her heart out. Yami held her gently while she let it out. "Oh, Liz. I'm so sorry."

"D-don't be," she told him, "It's n-not your fault."

"No, but it's hurting you," he whispered softly, his amethyst eyes sad, his own unshed tears glistening in their depths. "I'm so ashamed of what I've done," she replied. "How can you even want to be near at this point?"

He smiled a bit. "Because I love you, Liz. I don't care where you've been or what you've done. And don't worry about Bakura. He can't hurt you, not while I'm here."

"Thank you," she whispered, her tears having finally stopped. "I've been holding it in for so long. But the worst of it is, I can bring myself to hate him."

"And you won't. Not as long as you remember him as he was: your best friend. I do have a question, though."

She looked up at him with dark, curious eyes. "What?"

"Why did you try to kill him when we saw after we met properly? And when are you going to explain about your ka?"

"That's two questions," she told him gently smiling a bit.

"So?"

She let out another weary sigh. "I want him to stop following me. I don't think I could've gone through with it, though." He nodded. She continued. "As for my ka, Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon was formed from the love I had for Bakura. And now you, I guess. That's why it's so strong. Magician's Valkyrie came from my hurt at Bakura's betrayal. Her effect reflects that."

Yami's eyes glowed with respect and compassion. "Thank you for finally telling me."

She nodded. "This doesn't change things, does it?" she asked, fear lancing through her.

He smiled. "It most certainly does not."

"Then.....thank you for listening to me. And for loving me."

"Always," he told her softly, before giving her a gentle kiss. Liz let herself relax, let the world be perfect. After all, she had no more secrets.

* * *

Hope this satisfies your curiosity. And Bakura fans, don't hate me. I actually do like him, but I need him to be the villain for this particular tale. The wolf thing wasn't too weird, was it? Please, by all means, leave a review and let me know!!! Also, sorry for the length, this was mostly an explanation chapter, before all the excitement.


	10. The Confrontation

Hello to all you out there reading this! I know I always say this, but thanks for the reviews!! I apologize to those of you who felt the wolf thing was weird. All I can say is: my original idea was much, much weirder! Anyway, not sure how many more chapters there will be after this...............On with the fic!

Chapter Ten: The Confrontation

Mana smiled as she watched Liz and Yami. The duo of lovebirds was laughing at something or other (Mana wasn't really sure what). Liz had seemed much happier the past few days, which was a definite improvement as far as the brunette sorceress was concerned. Of course, by this point, she had learned that just when everything seemed peaceful was when some sort of conflict would arise. She was bracing herself for the trouble that was sure to come.

Feeling bored, she decided to see if she could get away with eavesdropping on her companions. As quietly as she could, she crept into the foliage near where the two of them were talking. Once situated, she closed her eyes and focused on her ears, so as to hear every word.

"-need to be getting back home," Yami was saying. Liz hung her head, looking rather depressed. "I know," she said softly, "I just don't want this to end."

"It doesn't have to."

Liz's face quickly showed her confusion. "How?"

"You could come to live in the palace with Mana and me." Mana had to suppress a cheer at hearing that. Liz had become like her big sister during this time. Plus, she and Yami were absolutely adorable together!

"And everyone else in the palace would be okay with this?" the curly-haired girl asked. Yami laughed. "They would be okay with it. The only one who'd really have a problem would be Seto, and he doesn't count." They both laughed at that, and even Mana couldn't hold in a giggle.

"Alright then, I guess I'd better take you home," Liz said, letting out a sigh. "Thank you," her Pharaoh whispered, giving her a gentle kiss. "Mana, we're leaving!" he shouted, standing and helping Liz up. "Okay!" Mana yelled, jumping up and blushing as she realized she'd given herself away.

Yami shook his head, and Liz started laughing again, causing Mana to blush a darker shade of red. "You guys get some water and get ready," Liz told them, calming down. "What about you?" Mana asked. Liz's only reply was a devious smile.

"Well, at least I won't pass out this time," Mana stated, trying to be optimistic. Yami walked by her side, carrying both his and Liz's share of the water. Liz herself had shifted to her wolf form, and wax currently scouting. The reason for this was that she wasn't entirely certain which way Thebes was. So, she had decided that her wolf self's sense of smell would be extremely helpful.

So far they had made good time, and Liz was confident that this trip wouldn't take as long. She hoped. Still, she was excited about what lay ahead for her and Yami. The title of queen of Egypt would simply be a bonus. She didn't particularly care about being queen, she just wanted Yami to be with her, and hold her, and tell her he loved her.

Her happy musings were interrupted as she came across a scent that she both loved and feared. She let out an involuntary snarl. "Liz?" She looked up to see Yami, a concerned look in his beautiful, violet eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She hesitated for a second. "It's........Bakura. His scent is here."

"Too right you are, little Liz," a voice that none of them really wanted hear said.

Liz quickly shifted back, keeping her ears and tail. "Bakura," she growled.

"The one and only." With those words, the famed King of Thieves revealed himself. A devious grin was on his face. "And if it isn't the so-called Pharaoh, having descended from on high to grace us mere mortals with his presence," he added, causing Yami to death glare him.

"Leave off him, Bakura. What do you want, anyway?" Liz questioned.

The white-haired man's grin widened. "Why, you of course."

"Me?" She was genuinely shocked. Whatever she had expected, it wasn't that.

"Yes. You. The only one worthy of standing at my side."

She narrowed her eyes. "After what you tried to do to me, I don't trust you. Besides, I have Yami now. I don't need you anymore."

The thief frowned. "I'm hurt, Liz. Truly. I regret what I did to you, I really do. And of course you need me. Was it not I who held you and comforted you after your dear brother's death? Was it not I who taught you survive, who taught you how to fight, who treated you as an equal? It tore my heart in two when you left."

"But I," she started, but he interrupted. "As to the Pharaoh," his crimson-brown eyes flicking toward Yami, before returning to Liz, "You have developed......feelings for him. But what makes you think he really wants you? How do you know he won't leave you the instant another pretty girl comes into the picture?"

"I would never do that!" Yami exclaimed, looking hurt and offended. "W-well, I-I just," Liz started to stammer, before Bakura cut in again. "I'll tell you what. I'll make you an offer. Give you a choice, if you will."

"What do you mean?"

"It's quite simple. You can go with your Pharaoh, and I will let both of you walk away unharmed. For now, at least. Or you can come with me, and things can return to the way they were. I'll become who I once was, give you everything your heart could desire. This is your choice. Make it now."

Liz was stunned. She dropped to her knees, her thoughts whirling through her head so she couldn't think clearly. Bakura's words and Yami's eyes flashed through her heart. 'I could go with Yami, and have everything I ever wished for. But what if Bakura is right and he does leave me? He's so perfect, and I'm, well, not. If I go with Bakura, though, I can save him. I can make him good again. Of course he could be lying. But he sounded so sincere. Oh, Hathor, goddess of love, what should I do?'

Yami watched her, a heavy weight filling his heart. He could see the pain this choice was giving her. He wished Bakura hadn't shown up. Then, he could be sure of his place. Now, though, he wasn't so sure. He knew he would never betray Liz. But he realized that since she had been betrayed before, that she wouldn't simply trust him. Besides, maybe Bakura would be better for her. He understood her in a way he didn't. After all, they had grown up together.

Of course, there was a chance the thief would betray her again. But there was a chance he truly meant what he had said. And then of course, there was Bakura's veiled threat. If Liz picked him, it was possible that she would be killed. Yami closed his eyes. He wanted her to be with him, but he had come to realize something. So, taking a deep breath, he spoke up. "Liz."

She looked up, her dark eyes wild with fear and indecision."If, if you truly feel that you would be happier with Bakura, then," he paused, fighting back tears. "Then I will accept your choice. I will not harm either you or Bakura." He turned his eyes to the thief. "Bakura, you would be free to try to kill me, and I would fight you. I cannot and will not cause Liz more pain."

Bakura's jaw dropped, and he looked as though a horse had just kicked him. Mana yelled a shocked "What?! Yami, what are you saying?! You can't give Liz up like that, I won't let you!" Yami ignored them, and kept his eyes on the only person who mattered at that point in time.

Liz's thoughts froze. 'He wouldn't........fight back?' was the first thought that went through her head. This was closely followed by a stunned 'No! If he died, I-I don't know what would happen to me.' She closed her eyes again, and tried to imagine life without him. She couldn't do it, not without a sort of pain that made her feel kind of sick. 'Bakura, I'm so sorry,' she thought, before opening her eyes and standing up.

"I have made my choice," she announced.

"Well, let's hear it then," Bakura told her, a confident look on his face, his prior shock having worn off. She looked straight at Yami, before running to him, feeling his arms around her again. "I choose you, Yami. For good or for ill, I choose you."

"What?! You can't be serious! You need me!" Bakura screamed.

"No, Bakura, I don't need you anymore. I've lived apart from you for years already. I can do it again."

The Thief King closed his eyes. "Fine. So be it. You win this battle, Pharaoh." With those parting words, Bakura left. He looked back once, before continuing on. Somehow, he had a feeling that it was over for him.

Yami held Liz, hardly daring to believe that she had chosen him. Liz was content just to be in his arms, breathing in his intoxicating scent. This was enough. Mana, meanwhile, was practically choking the previously unnoticed Sokar, due to the fact that she was ecstatically hugging him.

Liz pulled back ever so slightly, and kissed him. Soon, all her hopes and dreams would come true, but right now, this was all she wanted.

Umm, hi again! I realize it has been a long time since the last update. I actually starting writing this a while but was stopped when I realized something. That something was that from here on out, the plot I'd originally intended wouldn't work. However, after much thought, I came up with a solution. Unfortunately, due to this discovery there may be some plot holes in future chapters. I am apologizing in advance for my bad planning. -sweatdrop- Also I'm sorry for the short length, this just seemed like a good place to cut it off. Anyway, reviews are appreciated!!!!


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